beeThe humble honeybee’s decline has not only bemoaned naturalists, but is has also caused an alarm to traders because the prices of nutty sweets and snacks are likely to rise tremendously. The almond orchards in California have been hit by a great reduction in the colonies of honeybees. Farmers across the globe are being affected by a mysterious worsening of bee health. However, there is an exceptional concern among the almond growers in the United States who utilize at least one million hives of bees for pollinating their orchards. The world wholesale market of almonds is worth approximately five billion dollars. Over the past decade, the price of renting hives in California has increased three times. It now costs about $150 dollars to rent a hive. This increase in the costs of bee pollination comes as the prices of almond are hitting 8-year highs.

The almond growers’ increased expense comes as the nut demand increases among China’s consumers. China is apparently one of Californian almonds’ biggest export markets, and over the past few years, the demand has soared. The almonds’ popularity in the United States is also increasing. Since the almond prices in California serve as a benchmark, the price hike is affecting Europe. According to Alpro, a leading almond milk producer in Europe, the price increase is accounted for by high demand and drought pollination problems. The leading users of United States’ hives are the almond growers of California. More and more bees will be needed as the size of the acreage increases. According to the industry experts’ prediction, the prices of rental will continue to increase following acreage expansion. It is evident that a decline in honeybee population is posing a tremendous impact.